Cash Cab LIMOS are a hit

The Marquette CashCab was back in action last weekend, giving one LIMO’s lucky riders the chance to win up to $25 in Starbucks, Jimmy John’s or Sobelman’s gift cards. The Cash Cab, which ran from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, is sponsored by Marquette Student Government and the Department of Public Safety.

As special eventsco-commissioner for MUSG, Tara Vandygriff, a junior in the College of Communication, played a major role in planning the Cash Cab’s second annual, one-weekend run.

“It’s a unique event for a couple of reasons,” Vandygriff said. “First of all, we take the event to the students instead of the students coming to us. Most people ride the LIMOs anyway, so it’s a pretty unique program in that way. And also because we utilize student safety and DPS, who are not typically featured through Marquette Student Government events.”

Jamie Mikolajczak, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, drove the Cash Cab on Friday night. She said the program is helpful because it provides students with more than just money.

“The most important thing is that the students learn the systems that we have,” Mikolajczak said. “If they know how to use them, they’re going to be able to get to their destination quicker; they‘re going to be happier with the services that we provide; and it’s going to be beneficial to the whole campus.”

Vandygriff said the original idea, based on the popular Discovery Channel game show, was hatched in a brainstorming session at an MUSG retreat three years ago.

“We have people from Marquette Student Government sitting on a LIMO,” Vandygriff said, “and once a student gets on the LIMO, and they sit in the Cash Cab seat and the LIMO drives away, we jump in their face and let them know that they are in the Marquette Cash Cab and we give them the option to play.”

Over the course of the weekend, more than 100 riders sat in the lucky seat, and 36 of them opted to play. The trivia game consisted of three questions of increasing difficulty, with each correct answer earning the contestant a $5 gift card. Once students accrued $15 in winnings, they could either stop playing and keep the money, or risk it all for the chance to answer one final question for $25. Only 16 players made it to the $15 threshold; 10 of them risked it for an additional $10 and nine got their final question correct.

Friday night’s first $25 winner, David Stern, a junior in the College of Health Sciences, said his experience on the Cash Cab will likely make him use the LIMO system even more.

“I knew they were always there, and I knew they were helpful,” Stern said, “but I think it will make me want to take the LIMOs more often because it’s like, ‘Why not?’”